


I've fallen for you

by grumpy_trash



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Angst?, Crack, F/F, Fluff, JUSTENJOY, Whatisthis?, idk - Freeform, really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-08-16 19:53:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16501703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumpy_trash/pseuds/grumpy_trash
Summary: Joy finds cats, annoying friends and one reallly attractive girl all back at her hometown.





	1. Chapter 1

Joy yawned, she was tired but meeting her friend was exciting.

 

She pulled the cooling mug towards her cheek, nestled in the corner of the tiny cafe.

 

Irene is running late, it'll be nice to see her again anyway.

 

But the older girl appeared just as Joy thought about her, breathing heavily and plopped down in the seat waiting for her.

 

"You're late?" It came out as a question more then a statement, Joy ignored it.

 

"Ah, the road was more crowded than usual."

 

Irene caught a waiter with the incline of her neck and quickly ordered. The waiter left with a slight blush creeping up his neck.

 

It was expected of Irene, pretty among other pretty things, shining if you'd ask Joy.

 

"Oh," Joy mumbled as she took a sip of the lukewarm chocolate. "I- I kinda miss you guys." She breathed out but couldn't say, the words dissolved as they hit the air.

 

"Yeah, how are you?" Irene's eyes glinted and she raised her eyebrow in the quirky way that Joy loved.

 

"I'm alright, after lea-" She paused quickly, correcting herself, "after last year, things..have been okay."

 

Joy had left her town and broke promises.

 

As Joy snuck a look across the table, she was met with the sight of Irene; smiling widely at the waiter who brought her warm chocolate. A wave of slight anger and jealousy brushed over Joy, and she looked back down.

 

Irene was lucky, she thought. It was her own fault for leaving, but her family hadn't cared one way or another, Irene, however, had a family to worry about besides, the older girl had reasoned that they could go to the small college in town (it really was just an old building converted).

 

But dreams were all Joy had, so she clung onto one and left Irene behind, it stung because Joy danced around the ever so touchy topic of Irene ever since 9th grade, (maybe she liked the warm, older girl. Maybe).

 

"Yeah, thank you."

 

Snapped out of her thoughts, Joy blinked rapidly as her eyes flicked to the waiter who looked too excited as he left before flicking to study Irene over.

 

Her figure, already slim, was borderline skinny now. She'd lost weight and her straight shoulders were bending slightly. Joy couldn't ignore the burning inside of her chest.

 

"He looked happy, did you do anything?" Contrary to her inside, Joy asked with a teasing tone.

 

Irene's head shot up, "No, why do you ask?"

 

She gulped at the way her face searched for answers, "He was looking at you, and I mean who wouldn't want to look at you cause.. you're pretty and stuff?"

 

Oof.

 

Now Joy was just rambling and her face turned a light shade of pink when Irene placed a hand on hers, "Oh really?" The older girl was teasing and asking an unsaid question at the same time.

 

Joy let out a breath and didn't look up to the sharp gaze because, no matter what, she never found it in her to look up, to answer that question.

 

She tipped back the rest of her chocolate, cold chocolate to be more specific, and set the mug down.

 

"How are they?"

 

Irene's throat bobbed delicately, and Joy is starting to hate the boy that kept peering in their direction.

 

"They're okay," The older girl continued on Joy's questioning look, "Wendy and Seulgi managed to actually get over their stupid heads and talk to Yeri."

 

"And you?" (she's happy that Yeri finally got to talk to the older girls).

 

Irene just smiled, "I'm doing fine, the waiter just gave me his number though."

 

She held up a slip of paper, messy handwriting scribbling out a number. Joy suddenly doesn't know whether to punch or scream (she does the latter internally) at the waiter.

 

"I'm waiting for someone, however."

 

Her heart momentarily stopped and Joy forced it to continue, mashed together a weak smile and nodded,

 

"I'm sure that they won't be dumb and pass up an opportunity with you." She said, fingers tapping the table as Irene had already lifted her hand, it was a nervous indicator for her.

 

"Yeah, I'm hoping." Irene's warm brown eyes bore into Joy's cheek-- she could feel it, and right then and there, the younger girl really wished that she hadn't left for college, hadn't left her family, friends, most of all, she wished that she hadn't developed a crush on the prettiest girl in the world.

 

 

~•~

 

"You're actually an idiot." Yeri's voice was small as it projected from the phone, and, as always, sarcastically condescending.

 

"Just because I'm not you, doesn't mean I'm not an idiot." Joy protested and picked at her fingernail.

 

A snort was heard, "Yeah, sure. Just because Irene-unnie's clearly has forgiven you. Honestly, just pull your head out from the ground. That whole "ignoring each other" happened two years ago, seriously."

 

Joy didn't know if it was that easy because, in a short story; Joy left abruptly and Irene never said a word. For the whole year, nothing. It was just this year that Yeri had forced them to meet at a cafe in the middle of the distance that separated them.

 

It was awkward, but they got better.

 

That one visit was the first in a few months, both being busy.

 

"You still there, loser?" Yeri laughed and Joy just groaned.

 

"No, no I'm not." She muttered out, but she really doesn't expect Yeri chuckling darkly as her suggestive tone smugly said, "Ooh, *hi* Irene-unnie, Joy's on the phone."

 

And a startled thud indicated that the younger girl shoved the phone into the said hands of Irene.

 

"Sooyoung?"

 

Irene sounded confused, "I didn't know you talk to Yerim this much,"

 

"Yeah, me too, she's an annoying brat." The younger girl ground out,

 

"I heard that!" A faint scream yelled in the background.

 

Joy was silently seething and really hoped that a book would fall onto Yeri. She'd have to get her back later.

 

Later meaning, collage break and her birthday. Which, the latter was next week, Joy was going home in a matter of three days.

 

(Joy could've sworn she was missing something)

 

~•~

 

If moving wasn't hard enough, Joy suggested to try and move, organize and keep the whole thing secret from your friend, it would make the whole thing much more stressing because, gosh dang. Yeri kept calling every two seconds.

 

"What now."

 

She finally broke down, frown making its impact on the box she was shoving into the back of her car. Did you know it's reaaally hard to hold a phone and shove boxes with only one hand? Joy didn't, but now she unfortunately does.

 

"Uh,"

Yeri sounded strained,

 

"You should really start thinking about apologizing to the two idiots," She squeaked loudly and Joy had to hold the phone about...three feet away from her ear,

 

A scuffling noise plus the slam of a door made the older sigh.

 

"What did you do that involves me?" She asked, uninterested either way.

 

"...I told them that you talk to me? And..you haven't spoken to them in two years? And they're chasing me now?"

 

"Don't care, tough it out. See you later."

 

"Hey wait, what'd ya mean lat--"

 

Joy hung up before her stupid mouth could explain the slip.

 

Well, that could've gone a whole lot better. She grumbled, narrowing her eyes at the stubborn box that kept her right hand occupied.

 

MEEP MEEP

 

Joy resisted the urge to smash her phone and tapped the green button.

 

"Stop. Calling. Me." She practically screamed.

 

"What flavour of cake do you like?"

 

Now, normally, whatever response that came out of the younger girl's mouth would be cut off by Joy hanging up. This time, a lower, sugar-coated voice stopped her from doing just that. "Wendy?"

 

Joy coughed awkwardly, "S-strawberry?"

 

"Thanks and don't avoid us this long again, or you'll be expecting a cake that will blow you up if you don't visit us in the next year." Seulgi's voice is the one who popped up and disappeared, all of them ignoring the plead of Yeri in the background, "Help me you, idiots!"

 

A loud noise exploded next to Joy's feet and she jumped, hanging up at the same time she threw her phone.

 

The stupid box had fallen, spilling its contents of pictures, books and a not so small photo of the five of them which was broken, glass in shatters, onto the ground.

 

"Must take that in soon," Joy noted quietly, mumbling her request as she shoved everything else back into the box. The glass that dug into her soft hands were nothing-- she wasn't one to complain if there was pain.

 

Though, she wasn't exactly a fan of a little black'n white cat who came over and sniffed at her dripping hand, "Go away, shoo." She muttered, not having the heart to actually push away the animal.

 

It...reminded her of Irene, with the way it kept pushing it's small little nose into her hurt hand as if saying "I'm here to fix it, be careful next time".

 

"I'm fine. It's just a bit of glass. See?" Joy carefully extracted the red covered piece halting before she showed the cat, "Why am I even talking about this to you."

 

She wondered out loud, using her shoulder to securely push the stupid box inside. The cat had sat back, dark grey eyes sharply watching her. Joy shut the trunk and made her way to the stairs of her apartment, hands clumsily opening the door.

 

Before she could stop it, the cat had bounded inside.

 

"Oi! Get back here!" Joy yelled as she fumbled to swerve around a box, why she had put it in the front of the doorway was beyond her mind.

 

.

 

"Meow?"

 

And that's how Joy found the thing, halfway up on the bathroom sink with its head in the cupboard, nudging the bandaids.

 

Her mouth dropped and the cat meowed quietly, dropping onto the floor with a plastic covered bandaid in its mouth.

 

Okay, one. A cat shouldn't be making her put a band-aid on. Two, why was she picking it up anyway. Three, this cat definitely couldn't be Irene in animal form, the older girl was a whole hundred miles away.

 

Joy was probably being delusional from all the work that came with loading a car full of stuff because, you know. Moving to another place is hard.

 

Oh.

 

Yeah.

 

She's moving back home, to stay.

 

(She was forgetting something...what could it be?)

 

~•~

 

Cats are annoyingly loud when they want to be, meowing if they don't get things their way or scratching an area of skin when they're mad.

 

That's why Joy is sporting a scratch about...a mile long on her arm from trying to pick up "Miss Prisspot". She tried searching around with her neighbours, all the responses that she got were,

 

"Oh, that's such a pretty cat, she definitely must be a purebred."

 

"I'm not sure, miss. I've seen it around, never really with a family."

 

"Just keep her."

 

In this long search, Joy also found out that this cat is a girl and that she absolutely loves to curl up when Joy is busy but glares at her if she's not.

 

She swore that the cat is bipolar.

 

And, to be completely honest, she doesn't have time for this, with all of the packings of boxes, some sent to shipping, some going in her mess of a vehicle. It's not like Joy really had anything anyway (besides her collection of stuffed animals, of course).

 

But now. Finally now. Joy is behind the wheel, the cat-- whose name is actually "Miss Prisspot", laying in the passenger side with a fluffy bed, courtesy of her neighbour, boxes packed, and ready for the entire trip home.

That is, until Joy's about...half way there and the realisation of "ohh, I forgot to tell my best friend that I was coming back. To stay."

She tapped her finger on the steering wheel in annoyance and switched lanes on the highway.

Well, at least Joy figured out the problem.

 

~•~

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"Uh," Joy is currently trying to fend off angry Yeri while getting distracted by a particular person from across the street. "I forgot?" She said lamely.

They're in one of the only cafes in town: as soon as Yeri had seen the noticeably mint coloured car bumbling into the streets, she dragged Joy away from sleep, Miss Priss and unpacking in her new apartment to have a coffee.

"When did Irene-unnie start working over at the animal place?" Joy hissed as she poked the fuming girl beside her.

Yeri just snorted, "Go ask her yourself." She gave a particularly hard shove in response to the poke as she set down her phone. Joy glared.

Across from the cafe was a small veterinarian's office, it was always run by Mr Tokki. She remembered him as the person who gave her a lollipop when her bunny had gotten sick.

But instead of the small man's white coat running about behind the sparkling window, it was Irene's slim frame bent over a table.

"Seriously though," Joy began, scrunching her face into a frown,

"She went to the small college and got accepted after that unnie started working there."

"I don't reme-"

"After.. after you left." Yeri interrupted the same moment that the cafe's door opened and two people rushed at them.

 

"You two like sealing death wishes, don't you?"

Wendy grumbled loudly but Joy was too nervous to actually say anything.

"You.. aren't here to pound me into the ground, right?" She asked hesitantly, shrinking back when she saw the smirks.

"No, we're here to celebrate you, but I know someone who would like to."

Joy looked confused, mostly because of the stupid, annoying smirks on the three's faces.

Wendy being Wendy-- a person to let bygones be bygones, slipped up on a stool and dragged a smiling Seulgi up beside her.

"So," The older girl grinned, "do you still have a little crush on Irene-unnie?"

Joy slapped Yeri who had started laughing, "Y-yah, you have no idea how little it is." Yeri gasped out.

Seulgi had already ordered a chocolate and a coffee for Wendy, a little sweet bread coming with the two. She inputted her thoughts, "I mean, Joy was pretty enamoured with her." And took a sip of her chocolate, leaving a white moustache.

"Can't you all shut up?" Joy muttered grumpily, not really caring that she had denied it.

"Did you guys invite Irene?"

"Yeah, she'll be over in a few minutes after she finishes up." Yeri swiped a quick finger on the top lip of Seulgi, effectively changing the topic yet again and beating Wendy.

Joy couldn't help but smile smugly.

"Sooo, are you guys dating yet?" She crooned sweetly a second before she faked a puking motion at the youngest giving the cream to Wendy. "Disgusting."

"Well, at least you know what we absolutely didn't feel when you're with Unnie." Retorted Seulgi, "An awkward student who shut up the moment her crush walks into the room."

And, as if to prove her point. Irene walked in the moment Joy was going to grumble.

Practically perfect, the older girl was making Joy feel quite dingy with her denim shirt tucked halfway into her jeans while herself was dressed in a huge jumper, folded trousers and scuffed green shoes. Furthermore, when Irene's eyes lit up, she refused to notice that it might be because of her.

"Hi, Unnie!"

Yeri waved her hand violently. "You're looking nice, already done?" She asked in the middle of shoving Joy's nervous (and annoying) tapping fingers off the counter with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm done for the day." Irene laughed softly as she slid up to the queue for the cash register, "Welcome back Joy, for as long as you're here." She added before stepping up to order.

Two elbows jabbed Joy in the ribs, one hand poked her in the back because, very clearly in front of them is a scene that had always use to play when they were in highschool: Someone, again, was talking to Irene with more than just a coffee order in mind.

Joy smacked all of them gently, whispering, "It's okay,"

And she supposed it was, it's okay.

When Irene joined them, her hand holding a post-it was already disappearing into her bag while the other carried her order of a fruit smoothie. "So," She said, taking a sip, "What's up?"

(Joy felt like she's comfortable with being the background, if Irene is happy then she's comfortable).

 

~•~

"Where did things go wrong?"

Joy groaned into a pillow, it's a few minutes away from midnight, and she's mostly talking to Miss Priss, who's become a very good listener these past few days.

She's talking about her birthday, slipping back into her old town and trying to find a job (a wrinkled hiring paper from the cafe interests her, definitely not because Irene's been known to come in for her lunch).

It's been more than a few days since Joy had arrived, her birthday is a few minutes away and honestly, she hasn't told anyone that she's staying for good. At least she would die because of being throttled around.

"Meow." Miss Priss is undeniably ignoring her as the cat turned in her bed, facing her back towards Joy.

"Rude."

The doorbell rang loudly all of a sudden and Joy rolled off her bed with a 'thud'.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

Who actually came in the middle of the night? You wanna know who? Well, she doesn't exactly know either, all that was there was a huge box and a note with the words 'Don't open till your birthday' when she threw open the door.

.....Joy is too tired for this at, uh.. twelve in the morning. So, with her bumbling mind that's starting to spill brain juice, Joy easily hefted up the box- it's not as heavy as it looks, and carefully set it down next to the sofa.

She figured that she could open it when it was actually light outside, and dragged herself to her room where she snagged a blanket, sleepily bringing it back to the sofa. Joy realised somewhere, that she was actually supposed to stay in her bedroom.

Ohhh, well. She's tired and lazy.

Though, Joy fell asleep before she could consider the box to be filled with bombs or something dangerous.

.

Joy's first initial thought when she woke up was 'why is Miss Priss not meowing?'

Second was 'why is Irene snuggled up against me?'

Wait. Irene is what?!

She jerked up, effectively falling off the sofa with Irene and the blanket tangled about them.

"What are you doing?" Irene grumbled out, half stunned from being woke up underneath Joy and half asleep.

"What am I doing? What are you doing here?!"

Joy whispered out loudly.

The girl underneath her moved, eyes opening before noticing her situation and scrambled out with an agonizingly cute, awkward face. "What am I doing here?" She squeaked.

They both looked to the box, tipped and open, a letter was inside.

The contents of it were practically the most stupid things that Joy's ever read,

So, Hi Unnies! It's Yeri, W and S. You can't keep on going with..well, ya know, sexual tension? Whatever. We kidnapped Irene-unnie and put her in here, cause..DRAMA. have funnnnnn.

The poorly drawn wink besides the ending was unnecessary.

Joy leapt up, taking strides towards the door cause she's ready to kill them when Irene's warm hand landed on her shoulder.

"What?" She asked grumpily as she turned, "I'm going to shove this paper down their throats."

"Interesting," Irene doesn't look put off and tugged her back to the couch where the older girl is sitting, "I really don't want to object to that, but.. you're in pyjamas."

Joy's mouth makes an O and she glanced down at her clothes: A baseball shirt, ironman bottoms and bare feet. Irene isn't really any better in a silky red pair of matching pajamas, hair messily put up in a ponytail.

"And it's still nine in the morning." Irene added, mirth dancing around in her eyes and Joy is starting to get confused as Irene pulled her down onto the couch.

She's still very confused as the older girl straddled her lap easily, her hands falling to rest lightly on Irene's hips. "U-uh," Joy sputtered weakly, not being able to function properly when Irene hummed softly into her neck.

"You know," Irene began speaking, "I never asked if you're interested in anyone," her hum increased in pitch once she found the lingering smell of oranges between the taller girl's collarbones.

Can someone look attractive in pyjamas? Irene can, and Joy is sputtering still, managing out, "No, I'm-"

Her breath momentarily stopped because Irene chuckled near her ear, amused.

"So, the times that you've practically glared a few men into the floor because they gave me a number, mean nothing?"

At this moment, Joy was struggling to find anything to do to dissuade the closing in Irene. The only thing that came into mind was blankness and she panicked.

Then the younger girl promptly stood up, forgetting the very important fact Irene was on her lap and nearly dumped her on the ground.

"Yah!"

Irene half screamed as she clung tightly to Joy, lightly hitting her back.

 

"I didn't mean that you had to nearly kill me " Irene grumbled, "sit back down, you're swaying."

 

Joy obeyed silently in jerky movements and Irene shook her head gently, "Sooyoung-ah," She laughed softly, "don't look so frozen."

 

Joy watched with a flustered sigh, as the older girl got up, reaching the door before turning around with a smile, "I like you if that wasn't clear."

 

It wasn't.

 

"And I don't know maybe you like me too,"

 

The door shut before Joy could even protest. Now she's left with one very annoyed Miss Priss who wanted food- she'd been sleeping in the sock drawer and an open mouth that is the product of the one and only Bae Joohyun.

 

~•~


	2. Final almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm...

(From the one, the only, Bae Joohyun's perspective. ~Inspired because of LadyPisces ever so kind ideas~)

Irene was running late.

All because of a stupid delay in an appointment at the veterinarian office.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to the calmest that she could be and tried to focus on painting plaster over a broken dog's leg. Irene finished up quickly, bowing to the customer and advising general things to keep the puppy off it's legs, internally she's screaming because _bloody 'eck_ , she was supposed to be on the road, washed and ready,  _fifteen minutes ago_.

The tap turned on, and Irene washed with the speed of a cheetah. Water flying everywhere as she flew around, half way pulling off her coat before deciding it took too much time and just dashed out the door of the small building.

People greeted her warmly but all she could do was give tight lipped smiles and race to her flat.

It was like a whirlwind, Irene was, in most words, panicking after a two second shower (not kidding) as she picked up clothes, threw them down and then picked them up again. She decided a thick grey sweater, cuffed trousers and messy bun would fit the case. Just in time, because it really was getting late.

Irene sighed, not having the ability to stop and put in contacts, kept her black rimmed glasses on her nose as she rushed out the door and into her car. _Finally_.

As she entered the roads, whatever her plans for getting there at the least of ten minutes late were crushed. The traffic was terrible and Irene very well couldn't get out of it now.

So, she began thinking.

Would Joy be any different? It had been two years since they had last seen each other, perhaps time does change things.

Irene inched forwards, calming the butterflies that came with thinking about Joy and sighed.

This would be a long drive. 

 

___

 

It's okay, Irene breathed, we're only twenty minutes late. It's really not, and she's hoping with all of her life that somehow time will stop. Time doesn't, and the girl leaped out of her car.

Irene doesn't have time to process walking into the small cafe, only having eyes for the distressed looking girl in the corner, as pretty as the day she left.   
Breathe, don't freak out and try not to look like an idiot, she reminded herself quickly, already half way to the corner table and slid in with the grace of a dying dog. So much for being calm.

"You're late?"

Joy's voice is a bit lower, more husky now, and Irene _shivered_  slightly, turning jerkily in her chair to order as she tried to hid the fact that she did.

The waiter that came is sweet, offering things quietly and it made ordering easy as she replied, "The roads were more crowded then usual."

"Oh,"

Irene turned back with a smile, unconsciously raising her eyebrow as she asked, "Yeah, how are you?" And watched Joy take a sip of her drink (if she's still the same, then Irene could bet that it's chocolate with a bit of cream).

"I'm alright, after lea-" The younger girl paused, looking confused for a split second before continuing, "after last year, things have been.. okay."

Irene liked to forget about last year, to sum it up quickly. Joy left and a tiny bit of Irene's heart broke.

She opened her mouth but the waiter interrupted by carrying her drink over. Even if she wanted to turn back, the man was serving her, it was right to be polite. Though, Irene didn't know if a phone number was exactly needed in the situation.

The piece of paper was already in her hand by the time the waiter had left, Irene nodded, "Yes, thank you."

Joy is looking down at her lap when the older girl turned around, hair making a curtain that framed her face.

At least now Irene could look at her without getting caught; She'd gotten much taller from highschool if her slouching that made her the same height as Irene, was any indication. 

The older girl bowed her head down immediately as she heard Joy's voice, "He looked quite happy, did you do anything?" It was teasingly said, but Irene shot up,

"No, why do you ask?"

" He was looking at you, and I mean who wouldn't want to look at you cause.. you're pretty and stuff?"

Irene's insides, so politely twisted because wow, that was more obvious than her own screaming mind. 

 

. 

 

It'll tumbled from that point until now,

Irene has her fingers rubbing her temples, not knowing exactly what to do in a situation that calls for her to stay hidden in her office for days upon days while working.

Well, that is, until now where she's so cheerfully met with Joy's frantic face and a cat in a towel at four in the morning. It's bad enough that Irene confessed, but Joy nearly looked like she's about to cry and zero percent of the time can she ever deny the tall, pretty girl.

So, Irene sighed internally at her luck, opened the door and pulled them both inside.

"She just..was laying on the floor, not moving and sorta coughing. It kept on going even if I gave her medication." Joy whispered as the older girl gently took the cat out of her arms.

"Don't worry, we'll find out what's the matter."

Well, Irene better find it out quickly, she shuddered the idea of making Joy cry _and_  not fixing the animal. However, it's very hard to suitably check vitals when someone hugging you to death while waddling around a examination table.

"Joy." 

"..." 

"Joy."

"What." 

She glared, "You're stopping me from doing this properly,"

A mumbled reply vibrated her coat, "I'm in mourning, I need a cuddly buddy."

"Yeah, sure."

Irene focused on the cat, very carefully scanning "Miss Priss" before going through the normal routine of checking and taking a small blood sample. Surprisingly, the cat had no problems with any of the tests, just sat there with glittering eyes on the table when Irene came back from leaving the blood in a tester.

Meanwhile, the younger who had detached herself, clearly bored but also worried for the animal, was leaning back on a plastic chair sulking.

The room flickered with the memory of an uncompleted confession, one too awkward to bring it up, the other was contemplating the idea. 

"She's completely fine." Irene informed Joy, scrunching her eyes after ten minutes of testing j _ust to be sure_ , Joy blinked unbelieving. 

As if on cue, Miss Priss meowed loudly, getting up to stretch smugly and sat there licking her paws.

"......" 

. 

 

"Thanks, Doc." Joy grinned with her full 100 watt brightness, "So much for bringing her in,"

Irene just shrugged and tried to hide her growing red ears behind her doctor's coat.

"Which reminds me,"

Her eyes shot to Joy's twinkling ones.

Joy stepped up smoothly, winking just before she pressed her smiling lips to Irene's half open ones.

It's nothing shocking or mind blowing, just because it tastes like mint, so much so that Irene broke out of her stupor and began to laugh softly. Joy pulled back with questioning eyebrows.

"Did you steal a mint from the _children's ja_ r?" She chuckled because it's so like Joy to do that.

"Maybe."

The older girl shook her head, tiptoeing to get a better angle, "You're such a child," and    right before she leaned in-

"MEOW!"

They jumped apart, hearts beating to find an offended cat in Joy's arms.

"..Well now, I guess she's hungry.." Joy said blandly, apparently all confidence within her popped. Irene snickered.

"You should get sleep, it's-" Irene quickly checked the clock inside, "a quarter to five."

"But I need to ask you," Gasping dramatically, Joy bent her knees and yelled out as quietly as you could at five in the morning,

"Willyougoonadatewithmesoon?!"  before turning sharply, speedwalking away.

Irene had to pick out the words for a few seconds before she registered the back of Joy walking down the steps, "You know I'll say yes, pabo." Irene called back. 

She didn't miss the excited yell in the distance, a quick "MEOW" and a very distinct "OW?!"


	3. End

 

 

Yeri, yet again, found herself in a compromising position with Joy, a bat, and paper. 

 

"Uh," She tried to smile, but it's hard when you're being threatened, "you wouldn't have gotten a confession out of Irene if we hadn't done that," 

 

Gulping, Yeri shot nervous eyes to two bodies that already lay in the corner where a cake was sitting (a peace offering). Of course Wendy and Seulgi unnie had already been killed twice over, now it was her turn. 

 

The approaching Joy grinned evilly, "Yeah," She said simply, and in that moment Yeri had one thought. 

 

Run. 

 

. 

 

DEVIL- " _UNNIE! KEEP UR GIRLFRIEND FROM KILLING US ALL!!!"_

 

Yeri was cowering under a blanket and had already hastily texted Irene in an attempt to stop her impending pain, doom and many more things. 

 

Omma- " _One, it's your fault. Two, it's still your fault."_

 

DEVIL- " _bu-but she'll kill us ur best friends?"_

 

The door was suddenly smacked and Yeri nearly screamed. 

 

Well. She did scream, very loudly in fact, "UNNIE! I'M SORRY, PLEASE DON'T BEAT ME!!" 

 

"A nice confession, but I'm still going to smack you." 

 

Footsteps became closer and Yeri knew that the end was coming closer. So she thought about the two already-thrashed-idiots that she loved, her ramyeon stash in the back of the cupboard, her lovely, silky blanket and accepted the end. 

 

"Sooyoung! I think you've scared them enough." 

 

A soft, amused voice drifted from behind the door and Yeri opened a tightly screwed shut eyelid to peek. No evil demon to drag her off into dark depths? 

 

It takes the most of an hour before Yeri even dared to take a step out her bedroom, but when she does, it's only because something smells really good. The TV is on and no noise of her (supposedly) dead girlfriends, so that's good. At least she survived. 

 

She sent a thankful pray to Joohyun for saving her life and silently crept down the hall in hopes that perhaps there might be food in the direction of the smells. 

 

__

 

Yerim supposed that the one thing that Sooyoung's terrible moping when she was lovesick, was the fact that she had met the current idiots in her life. 

 

Their first meeting though had set the friendship in a... weird tone at first. 

 

"This is Seungwan-unnie and Seulgi-unnie." Sooyoung introduced them during their third year in high school.

 

"Hey." 

 

"Omo. You're really pretty!" The shorter one had gasped, shaking the other's arm with a gentle force. 

 

In an instant, the corners of Yerin's mouth turned up mischievously. Oh boy was this going to be fun. 

 

"Thanks," She snickered, "you look nice too, but you'd look even better without clothes and on my bed." 

 

A very hard tap to her temple made the girl bend over in laughter, completely ignoring Sooyoung's annoyed face and the other two red ones. 

 

. 

 

From there on out, Yerim had been stuck with the easily flustered No-jam duo. To say it was funny to see them sputter at a probably (totally) suggestive pickup line, was an absolute understatement. 

 

But those lines were platonic. Of course. 

 

Yeah, no. 

 

APPARENTLY, you can fall in love by watching someone (in this case, someones) and flirting with them. Yerim hadn't taken that into consideration, at all. 

 

. 

 

"Yeah, it's kinda expected of someone who flirts with two people for over two years."

 

 Sooyoung flipped through her textbook, uninterested in her friend's problems because one, Yerim had previously insulted her small (SMALL) crush on Joohyun-unnie. Two, it was really fun to see the demon spawn get flustered. 

 

She cut off any incoming retort by saying, "They haven't slapped you into the next world, so I'm assuming you'll be fine. Or not." 

 

Shrugging, Sooyoung's arm is holding back a huffing Yerim from a foot away, calming scribbling down a note. 

 

"Just go to the cafe, flirt or something. Jeez, Joohyun-unnie is coming over later to study." 

 

"Pfff, study? Didn't know that would be coming up instead of-- OKAY, I'm leaving!" The younger girl yelled, running away from a half a foot thick book slung at her feet. 

 

. 

 

She ended up the exact cafe that the very two had worked at ever since graduation. Of all the things, Yerim swore that falling in love was not one of those things. Yet it happened and she shuffled into the quiet cafe with a frown. 

 

Hmph. Leave it to Sooyoung, that crappy friend of hers. Maybe she should accidently shoved Joohyun and her under the mistletoe someday. Whateve-

 

"What can I get you?" Seungwan's cheerful voice brightens her. In the corner of Yerim's eye, Seulgi is waving. 

 

"Uhh... A caramel latte. Two kisses for a discount?" 

 

It was only routine to keep up the tradition (somehow picked up after the fifth time).

 

Maybe she put in too much emotions because Seungwan had huffed, Seulgi joining them a second later, "Okay, for the nth time, no."

 

"....."

 

"The kiss wouldn't be that bad, fine. But we're not getting fired for a twenty percent discount." 

 

Flirting wasn't uncommon. But retaliation? Unheard of. 

 

"Uh," Yerim liked to tell the story where she hadn't turned red, gaping like a fish.

 

__

 

"You idiots." Yerim spat, chewing a chicken bone. "You weren't supposed to run and leave me alone!" 

 

"Well excuse us, Sooyoung-ah is more scary then a rabid dog." Seulgi grumbled.

 

"Was that an insult? I feel like it was."

 

Said girl only stopped the attempt to throw bones at head by the power of Joohyun and sappy love. Yuck. Yerim can not relate-- or, at least she can't in that moment, but a glance upwards shows Seulgi and Seungwan snickering together before both reaching to wipe crumbs on her face.

 

"You've got something-" Seulgi. "-on your face." Seungwan.

 

A satisfying thrill goes down her back and to her side, Joohyun and Sooyoung are finally where they should be. 

 

Yerim's world comes together in a matter of seconds. 

 

This is her family and they belong together. 

 

 

((A/N: Yay or Nay? Yerim with short hair, peek a boo era, was quite literally my favourite hairstyle. Yerim! HWAITING. (happy Yerim is a must). 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> YO. So, there's been a shortage of JOYRENE and....well, anyone who ships them can feel my pain. T^T ANYWAY. ENJOY. (P.S, I don't know how to do the chapters (even after a year on here -cough cough-) BUT, there will be one more. (maybe two. o-o)


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